Hi, I'm Rob Stewart.

We're taking a look at
food in your future

on this edition of
America's Heartland.

Young people making a
difference in crop production

and students discovering
how agriculture

touches their lives even if
they've never been to a farm.

We'll head for California
and a new program

teaming up students
with lessons

to encourage careers
in agro science.

Students at this
school in New Jersey

make a direct connection
to agriculture

from the minute they
step on the school bus.

We'll take you to
Minnesota for a lecture

about sustainability
and the environment.

It's being taught by
"Sewer Man!!!"

And our Sharon Profis has
a lesson in good eating.

This time with Cheese!

It's all coming up on
America's Heartland.

♪♪♪

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Representing the companies

whose modern
farming innovations

help America's farmers
provide nutritious food

for communities
around the globe.

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Agriculture Education -

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Contributors include
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♪♪♪ You can see it in the eyes
of every woman and man ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ In America's Heartland,
livin' close to the land ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ There's a love
for the country ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ And a pride
in the brand ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ In America's Heartland ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ Livin' close...
close to the land ♪♪♪

♪♪♪

>>We're going to pass
along some easy education

about agriculture on
America's Heartland this time

but don't worry,
there won't be a test

and you won't be
required to take notes.

We're going to introduce
you to some young people

whose futures will impact
you and your family.

They've shown an interest
in agriculture.

Their work in all aspects of
food science and production

could be critical to
feeding the world

in the years to come.

If I say agriculture,
it may only conjure up

an image of farmers,
ranchers or growers

raising crops or livestock
in a rural setting.

But agriculture today is a
vastly expanding industry

that not only includes
lab research on

everything from seed stocks
to pest prevention;

it touches on
every conceivable

aspect of food science.

That, of course,
can play a major role

in improving our diets

and provide greater yields
to an expanding population.

But what about the people who
will staff those positions.

And what do young people need
to know about food safety,

environmental concerns,
sustainability and more?

Let's make some stops across
the country for programs

that help young people
connect with agriculture...

both as producers
and consumers.

Let's start in
Northern California.

♪♪♪

This is definitely not
your everyday classroom.

This is the
Agriculture Academy

at Elk Grove's
Florin High School

in Northern California.

The students here are taking
part in something called

"Linked Learning," course
work that's career oriented.

And for these students,
it's all about agriculture.

These classes and classrooms
are project-based,

real world test kitchens
where students get

an agricultural advantage
at an early age.

[chickens clucking]

Andre Whittaker is
a senior here and

very active in the FFA - a
national organization working

to support students who see
agriculture in their future.

Andre wants to be a large
animal veterinarian.

Today he's in charge of
the chickens and rabbits,

tending to their
needs and care.

>>Are your dreams
coming true already?

>>They are, like-
I've always loved horses,

so thanks to the ag program,
I already figured that

I can't work with
large animals

until I work
with small animals,

'cause I can't just go
from nothing to large,

so I knew I had to
have prior experience,

and with ag offering such
things as our poultry,

and our, also our rabbits,
I've done both,

having the experience
with such small animals

has helped me set
up the foundation

for me to work with
large animals,

and I knew that if I could
work with small animals,

I definitely could
move on, and learn

and take my experience and
take it with me for my job.

>>California has an
extensive "Linked Learning"

program, offering a number
of potential career choices.

There are similar
programs in other states -

some of which, also,
focus on agriculture.

Students and teachers
emphasize, however,

that ag education
is tough work.

It offers
high school students

a rigorous academic
curriculum combined

with career-focused learning.

It means a lot of work for
these teens with dreams.

You know it's so
interesting to hear the

students here are finding
their dreams in high school,

and they're
attributing it to ag.

>>That's one of the really
special things that

I think a program like an
academy and like the FFA

can do for a student
for their future.

Not only do they get
a chance to sample

all those future potential
goals by being able to

sample the world of work
at the same time that

they're finishing and gaging
their high school studies,

but they also get out
to see the world and

they do that through
the world of agriculture.

>>Those ag opportunities

literally changed
Anh Ngyen's life.

Anh moved to America in
2010 from Vietnam.

She didn't speak English...

and knew nothing
about agriculture.

That's all changed.

>>And its crazy, because
I remember there were days

when I could only
remember 3 words or-

or that I understood, and
it was hard, it was hard,

but when I started
high school that's when

I stepped into agriculture
and when I stepped in,

my adviser,
she took me right in,

and it doesn't matter
what my skill level was,

it doesn't matter where I-

how much I can do,
or my ability...

So that was my first time
seeing hands-on activities,

like dissecting the pigs,

and- and doing all
these activities

where I can actually
experience that effort

and all the ways to do
different things that

I need to know how to do,

so after that I just
learned it so fast,

I took another step by
just taking opportunities

such as competitions and,
I found out about FFA,

so I started to
excel from there and

found my passion through it.

>>Anh devoted herself to
her passion projects

like this one,
called "Marimo,"

growing self-sustaining
algae that cleans water.

She even won a national
award for her work.

>>I was just...
I was blown away.

>>And agriculture is
also blowing away students

at nearby Elk Grove
High School.

The two programs serve
more than 150 teens.

The Academy here takes more
of a "farm life" approach.

This is Tyler Yates and his
prize winning pig, Sally.

Agriculture is
already important

to Tyler's life
and career choices.

>>I want to become an
agriculture teacher...

>>Really?

>>Yes, I know, you don't
usually hear that

from high schoolers, oh
you wanna become a teacher?

Yeah...

>>I love that.

>>It's just, I wanna help 'em,

like how my teachers helped
me learn all this stuff,

I wanna help other kids learn
it and it just helps me,

'cause- and I've always
loved animals.

I've always been around them
and so just, doing this-

just- it's kinda
doing what I love.

>>What I love about that is
that you've found something

that makes you happy.

>>Yeah.

>>So you're gonna be an
ag teacher yourself.

>>Yes.

>>You will be
teaching students

just like yourself
down the road,

what is it you want
them to take away

from knowing
about agriculture?

>>That farming isn't
just growing plants

or raising animals, it's
about a whole life career.

>>I've- I've heard you
mention several times

the word "dream,"

and you go right back
to this program,

this program has clearly
impacted your life.

>>It has- even
my mom is involved.

My mom knows the-
my ag teachers,

like- she knows how much
it means to me and

how much I love this program,

I even dropped a AP class
for this program.

I was originally
enrolled in AP Government,

but it conflicted
with my ag class,

so I choose my ag class
over AP Government,

'cause it meant
so much to me,

and this is what
I'm here for.

>>Agriculture is about
literally planting seeds

and things growing...

>>Definitely.

>>What has it
planted in you?

>>Confidence, I've been like
searching for this voice,

for like years, I didn't even
know what my passion was

and you know, just
going to conventions,

going to events,

or just doing the small
projects about agriculture,

it plants a seed in
me basically knowing

about where I'm gonna go,

and how I'm gonna
grow up to be,

and I know exactly
where I wanna go.

♪♪♪

>>The National FFA
organization plays

a major role in
educating young people

about agriculture
in America.

The National FFA began as

the Future Farmers of
America way back in 1928.

FFA has members in
all 50 states and...

lest you think it's
only about rural life...

the National FFA has chapters

in 18 of the 20
largest U.S. cities

including New York,
Chicago and Philadelphia.

♪♪♪

>> Agriculture plays
a role in not only

the production of food,

but in the production
of energy as well.

We've done stories
in the past about

ethanol and bio-fuels.

University research
is underway on

cost effective ways
to produce fuel

from things like
switch grass, even algae.

And students in one school
district in New Jersey

are coming to understand
that agriculture

can even affect their
getting to school on time.

Our Yolanda Vazquez climbs

on board a school bus
for that lesson.

♪♪♪

>>Riding to school in
Medford, New Jersey,

these elementary students
are beginning their day with

a real life demonstration
on energy alternatives.

And if you ask them,
they'll tell you why their

big yellow school buses
are different.

[kids chant
"bio-diesel, bio diesel"]

In the late 90's, the Medford
Township School District

decided to begin using
bio-fuels in their buses-

a "B-20" blend with
20% of the fuel mix

created with biodiesel
made from soybean oil.

>>This is a
farming community.

This community, Medford
Township was based on

the agriculture industry.

>>Joe Biluck is the
Director of Operations

and technology for the
Medford School district.

He says with more than

four hundred thousand
school buses in the U.S.,

biodiesel provides an
opportunity to be

more energy efficient
and support agriculture.

>>We have consumed about
750,000 gallons of biodiesel.

We have reduced
diesel emission by

some 120,000 pounds
over the last 12 years.

Our fleet expenses
have been reduced

by some 120,000 dollars
over the last 12 years.

So, you see that there is
various layers of benefits

to using biodiesel
and alternative fuels.

♪♪♪

>>But learning about
agriculture's role

in creating
energy alternatives

doesn't end with
riding the bus.

Energy and the environment

are often the
topics of conversation

in David Khanlian's
fifth grade class.

>>What makes it renewable?
Do you remember Jess?

>>Yeah, the fossil fuels
are used from fossils

which are harder to get,

but the biodiesel made
from plants and such stuff.

>>How many of you would say

you know something
about biodiesel?

The buses are healthier

because we're putting
healthier fuel into them.

The biodiesel is
better for them and

that allows the engines
to run smoother-

to be less strained, to
run longer, to last longer.

>>I learned that they have
to like crush the soybeans

to get the oil out.

And then they turned the oil

into like this orange
stuff so it's biodiesel.

>>I want to introduce
Mr. Steve McCracken.

>>As part of the studies,

outside speakers
visit the classrooms.

>>The importance of biodiesel

is that we're starting
to use products-

we're able to use products

that are created here in
America from our farms.

We're able to create more
products and more value from

products that are grown right
here in the United States.

>>The biofuel blend creates
another distinction

as the buses
roll down the road.

>>It smells really good.
It smells like French fries.

>>[shouting together]
French fries!

>>State and federal
tax breaks along with

incentive programs have
encouraged the use

of biofuels in school
districts nationwide-

a focus on energy from
plants and not petroleum.

>>When I ride on the
bus knowing that it's

running on biodiesel fuel,
it feels good because

it's making the earth
better for everybody.

>>[shouting together]
Thank you, farmers!

♪♪♪

>>Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota
and Indiana are some of

the top soybean producing
states in the nation.

In addition to biodiesel,

soybeans are used to
make everything from

soy milk to furniture
polish... even crayons.

In fact, one acre of
soybeans can produce

more than 80 thousand
colorful crayons.

♪♪♪

>>Alright, since
we have a focus on

education this time around,

let's give you a lesson
in good eating with

some practical knowledge
from our Sharon Profis.

Sharon's in the kitchen for
our "Farm to Fork" segment

and she's serving up a
tasty recipe with cheese.

♪♪♪

>>From fancy cheeses
to cream cheese,

there are so many ways to
love this dairy product.

Normally it's something
you buy at the store,

not something you make,
but today I'll show you

how to create your own
cheese in minutes,

plus my favorite,
cheddar and chive biscuits.

There are many
types of cheeses,

but the basic process

for creating any
cheese is the same.

You have milk or cream
and some kind of acid

to help curdle the milk.

Once those two
things are combined,

you get curds and whey,
then you grab the curds

and you're ready to
make your cheese.

We're making a simple cheese
that you can spread on bread

or enjoy with dessert, or
even put in your lasagna.

So let's head to the
stove and get started.

The first thing we need
to do is heat up our milk,

so I've got an enamel-coated
pot here over a medium heat,

and in goes two cups
of whole milk, plus,

for added creaminess,
one cup of heavy cream.

I have a candy thermometer
in here to help me determine

when it's time to
put in the vinegar,

but you'll know it's ready
if you don't have one

when the milk is simmering,

so in my case, I'll wait
for it to hit 190 degrees

before adding the vinegar.

Over here I have a bowl
with a sieve on top;

you can also use a colander,

plus a few layers
of cheese cloth.

This is where I'll
put the curds when

they're ready to strain.

♪♪♪

Our milk just
started simmering,

my thermometer
hit 190 degrees

so now we hit it with
a little bit of salt,

turn off the heat,
add our vinegar,

and the milk will
start to curdle.

After about three minutes
you're ready to

transfer the curds
to the cheese cloth.

So, I'm using
a mesh strainer,

you can also use
a slotted spoon,

and then just
grab your cheese

and put it right on top
of your cheese cloth.

The longer the curd strains,

the thicker the cheese
will end up being,

but you can already see
that it has the texture

of ricotta cheese or kind
of like a cottage cheese.

I'm going to let this strain

for about ten to
fifteen minutes

because I want a really
silky thick creamy cheese,

perfect for
spreading on bread

or for putting in lasagna.

The cheese is strained
for about ten minutes and

you can see how much
whey came out of here,

strained out a lot.

So, now the cheese is
basically ready for serving.

It's thick, it's creamy,
and the way I love it most,

is simple, on a piece
of toasted bread with

a little drizzle of honey.

So now that our cheese
is ready and as you saw

it was really easy, we're
ready to make our next dish,

cheddar and chive biscuits.

These cheddar biscuits come
together really quickly.

I already have
two cups of flour

and one tablespoon
of baking powder,

along with one and a half
teaspoons of salt

in my stand mixer.

And to that we'll add

one and a half sticks
of very cold butter.

What we're looking for
here is for the mixture

to reach a sort of
crumbly texture,

then we'll be ready to add
the rest of our ingredients.

And to that mixture we'll
add half a cup of buttermilk

and one egg scrambled
right into the buttermilk.

[sound of mixer]

When that mixture
just comes together,

you're ready to add the
main ingredient, cheese.

We're using cheddar cheese,
and I have two types here,

I have a yellow cheddar and
an aged white cheddar just

to add a little bit more
dimension to these biscuits.

I also have some chives
that I'll chop here.

[sound of knife chopping]

In goes one cup of our yellow
and aged white cheddar mix,

we'll also add
our chopped chives,

a little bit
of garlic powder.

We'll give that a quick mix,

wait until it
just comes together,

and then we're ready
to roll it out

and stick it in the oven.

♪♪♪

I've lightly floured
my cutting board and now

I'll just dump out
our biscuit mixture,

and we'll knead it a few
times and I can already

smell the chives and
the cheese and the garlic,

and now we'll roll it out
into a small rectangle.

♪♪♪

Now in order to save time
and extra kneading,

I just cut the biscuit dough
with my knife like this.

♪♪♪

Just like that.

These are gonna be light,
flakey, cheesy.

Perfect, before they
go into the oven,

I wanna hit them with

a little more
cheese right on top.

These will go into
the oven at 425 degrees

for about fifteen
to twenty minutes,

or until they
puff up a little bit

and they're golden brown.

♪♪♪

The biscuits are a
perfect golden brown

and the entire kitchen
smells amazing.

Here we have
two cheesy recipes

that come together
really quickly,

plus they're really easy
to make, and as a bonus,

this homemade cheese and

these biscuits might
go together really well.

♪♪♪

>>Understanding the
importance of agriculture

has been the life work

of the man we'll meet
in our next story.

He helps young people
realize that things

like sustainability and
environmental concerns

are equally important to
those who live in the city

and those who
live on the farm.

Our Jason Shoultz says "how"
he gets that message across

makes his presentation
quite unique.

♪♪♪

>>A visitor is on his way

to this second-floor
corner classroom at

Northfield Middle School
in Northfield, Minnesota.

>>The one, the only...
the despicable, gross,

sticky and slippery,
surprising Sewerman!

Oh, thank you-
that was great.

>>With his lab coat,
boots and hard-hat donned,

Dave Legvold
becomes "Sewerman."

>>And we have the gutter,
and we have the grate.

>>And for the
next 45 minutes...

>>Open wide- open wide and
I'll just pour this motor oil

right down the
storm sewer, okay.

...Are you okay?

>>Yeah.

>>Sure you want to do this?

>>No.

>>Ah, I don't
blame you either.

[sound of water pouring]

>>It's an environmental
lesson about

how our daily routine
impacts water quality.

If it gets dumped
down the drain...

>>Oh man.
My little brother,

he dropped the big one
and didn't flush!

[kids laughing]

>>At some point it
ends up in a creek, river

or stream somewhere else.

And the students here
eat this lesson up...

>>Or maybe even drinking it.

>>Well almost eat it up.

[kids making
sounds of disgust]

>>Sometimes we remember
the strangest things

because the presentation
itself was strange.

>>As comfortable as
this retired teacher is

in front of the classroom...

[sound of motor]

Dave Legvold is just
at home behind the wheel

of a tractor on
his Minnesota farm.

>>Farming, like teaching
is cyclical in nature.

There is a renewal
that happens every year.

Every Spring it is
like the juices rise

and you get ready
to do planting.

In the Fall, a new school
year is approaching

and the juices rise
and you get excited.

>>He's passionate
about agriculture and

its importance to Minnesota.

He's also passionate
about the environment.

Knowing that the
decisions farmers make

have an impact on the land
for generations to come!

>>So farming and city life
and what we do on the land

that impacts the water
for our city colleagues,

it all ties together.

>>So what are we
looking at here?

This is a pretty
big machine.

>>This is the soil warrior.

>>Dave wanted to show me
the latest tool he's using

to reduce soil erosion.

It's a large contraption
that combines tilling,

planting and
fertilizing in one.

>>The erosion from a field
that has been treated

with this is much less
than a field that has

had a significant
amount of tillage.

I've received probably
three or four calls

in the last couple
of weeks about,

'How is your soil
warrior working?

Do you find that
it is beneficial?

What about fuel savings?'

And all for the really good
questions that farmers and

people just associated with
water quality want to know.

>>Talking with other
farmers about conservation

is important to Dave.

He also works with
student scientists

at St. Olaf College
in Northfield

studying runoff
from farm fields.

>>I've come to realize that
if we do things that enhance

water and soil quality,
it's more profitable.

And it's better
for the environment.

>>Dave says confronting
environmental challenges

like soil erosion and
chemical runoff is critical

to the long-term success
of American agriculture.

>>I don't think
we need to fear that

our world will grow hungry

as long as we have the
American farmer on board.

But that also carries with it
the awesome responsibility

of increasing production
to tremendous levels

and doing so in a
sustainable way.

♪♪♪

>>Hey, we just wanted to
say thanks to those of you

who stay in touch with us
on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks for your good
words about the show.

We're do glad that you
enjoy the stories

and the connections to
agriculture that we make.

And don't forget that our
America's Heartland website

has video from
all of our shows

and so much more as well.

Find us there at
AmericasHeartland.org

That's gonna do it
for us this time.

Thanks for traveling
the country with us.

We'll see you next time
on America's Heartland.

>>You can purchase a DVD or
Blu-ray copy of this program.

Here's the cost:

To order, just visit us
online or call 888-814-3923

♪♪♪